The Drive
Plot In the Freelancer classroom, the Counselor is talking in front of all the Agents, excluding Georgia, of course, and Maine- oddly enough. He is pointing to a brain scan on the wall from the projector. The brain scan is mostly blue and green, but there is one section that is lit up in reds and oranges. (Counselor): As you can see, Agent Maine's brain activity spiked in the instinctual and aggressive regions. And if you watch here... (He pushes a button and the brain scan plays like a movie, shifting slightly before reverting back and pausing again.) Agent Maine's brain seemed to calm down for a split second, meaning that he tried to gain control, but something brought it back on. (North): Any idea what? (Wash): Probably just a glitch in his suit. I mean the part where he went normal for a second. (Wash is slapped across the back of his head by Carolina.) Hey, I'm just saying. (Counselor): Agent Maine has never displayed aggression or ferocity to this degree before. We know because we have these scans going constantly in all of your suits. It's proved useful, especially now. (York): Why are we in here? I don't mean to sound... I don't know, I just don't get it. (Counselor): The Director felt that it was necessary for each of you to see this, so you know the risks. We think this incident had something to do with the implantation of Agent Maine's A.I. (South): But the rest of us don't have anger issues like Maine. We'll be fine! (Bowman): Now hold on, South. Maine didn't have anger issues. He just forgot to chill sometimes. (Carolina): Exactly. And I for one want to know everything I can before they put one of those in my head. (South): Tex, Bowman, and York haven't had any problems, so why should I be worried? (She asks with a rather snarky tone.) (Bowman): Because you have a hard enough time handling your emotional outbursts now. Imagine if your brain lost all its filters. We'd all be dead. (Bowman retorts with an equally snarky tone.) (South): Screw you, Bowman! (Carolina): Please, both of you! (Counselor): This is exactly what we're talking about. The procedure had a vastly negative effect on Agent Maine, and we do not want to risk that happening again, which is why we are telling you about it. What to expect. (South): Whatever. End Scene Bowman walks into the infirmary, and goes straight to Maine's bed. Maine's jaw is wrapped in bandages, covered in blood. (Bowman): Doctor Halsey, how's he doing? (Dr. Halsey): He'll live. The bullet embedded itself in his lower jaw, so nothing major was injured. (Bowman): Good. I'd hate to be the reason we lost a valuable agent. (Dr. Halsey): That'd be a load to carry. At least all you have to worry about is his lack of voice. (Bowman): Huh? (Dr. Halsey): Well, I don't think I'll be able to completely heal his jaw. He shouldn't be able to talk after this. (Bowman): Thanks, Dr. Halsey, I'll be checking in later. Bowman leaves the infirmary, and is met by Wash in the hallway. (Wash): How's he doing? (Bowman): Doc says he may not talk again. (Wash): So no real damage done then? (Bowman): (He chuckles) You've got a point. (Just then, the Director comes over the Intercom) (The Director): Agents Texas, Carolina, York, North, Bowman, and Washington, report to the Bridge, immediately! (Wash): I guess we gotta go. (He and Bowman start walking toward the Bridge.) So, what's the deal with the dents in the wall? I mean really. I don't buy that this is all because you don't like killing people. (Bowman): Well, like I said last time. I blame myself for what happened to my ex and it was that that pushed me into this position. (Wash): But if you weren't here, one of us would have killed them. They are still the enemy, whether or not you're here. So there's got to be something more to it. (Bowman): Drop it, Wash. Just drop it. Bowman and Wash enter the Bridge at the same time, and line up next to Carolina. Bowman in between her and Wash. (The Director): Good. You all made it quickly. Now, your mission is to infiltrate the base where we had tracked the late Agent Connecticut and extract the remaining information that she leaked. (Tex): Director, did we miss something last time? (The Director): No. I missed something. Her partner had a flash drive with information on it. Agency Secrets that were stolen by Connecticut. (Bowman): And we're just hearing about this now? (The Director): An article was published, accusing our operations of sabotage and conspiracy. All untrue, but there was mention of a drive with information on it. We cannot risk that information being accurate. Your mission is to go, download the information that have onto a drive, bring that drive home, and destroy the other one. We can not risk the Rebels having that intel. It could be everyone's identities. Vital information that cannot be leaked. Arm up and get going! (The Six Agents): Yes, sir! End Scene On the Pelican, the Agents are all in their usual spots. Wash seems a little out of it, so Bowman nudges him with his elbow. (Bowman): Hey, you alright? (Wash): It's just. This whole C.T. thing. I still don't believe it. I know it's been a few weeks, but I just can't... (Bowman): She said something to you. Didn't she? (Wash): She asked me to join her. She tried to convince me that we're the bad guys. (York): That's ridiculous. We've been defending the people of the galaxy, and she thought that we were the wrong ones? She clearly had something wrong. (Tex): She wasn't stupid, York. That's something specifically reserved for you. Bowman laughs and throws his head back. (Bowman): But seriously, she could have been mislead by someone. People throughout history have been known to manipulate whole countries with just their words. (North): Very true. She may have just encountered someone who knew the right words. Someone who knew exactly how to turn her. (Wash): I still don't get it. I had been around C.T. almost every second she was part of the program. I don't understand how she could have abandoned everything. The Director, the project, me... (Bowman): (He places his and on Wash's shoulder) None of us do, but we have a mission. Let's get to it. (Georgia): Hey, guys, we've got a problem. (Carolina): What? (Georgia): Thermals are picking up life, and a lot of it. (Bowman) I thought we cleared the base last time? (Georgia): You did, but they've resupplied. The Director was right, something big is in that base. (North): Great, just what we needed. (Bowman): Cortana, are we close enough for you to scan them? (Cortana; appearing on Bowman's shoulder): Maybe... It'll be difficult. (Bowman): Well, I want to give it a shot. Bowman's helmet forms over his face, and the visor starts glowing. On his HUD, he can see the faint orange glows of bodies on the base they are approaching. Cortana grunts as she tries to mark all the targets on his HUD. The flashes of green start appearing slowly, but quickly gain speed. Cortana inhales deeply, and sighs. (Cortana): All targets marked. There are 271 Rebel guards on the base. (York): That's a lot of people. (Tex): Even with the six of us, it'll use a lot of time and energy to take them all out. (Bowman; looking down at the Infinity): I've got an idea. (Carolina): What is it? We could use anything right now. (Bowman): I've got an alien form I want to try out. (North): I don' think it's the best idea for you to test a new alien on a mission like this. (Wash): Definitely not. (Tex): He can do it. (She turns around to face her team.) Bowman's handled far worse. I trust him. (Wash): If Tex is in, I'm in. (North): Agreed. (Carolina): Okay, if we're all on board? (York nods to her.) Then it's settled. (She turns to Bowman.) What's the plan? (Bowman): (He turns to York) Delta. (Delta; appearing on York's shoulder): Yes, Agent Bowman? (Bowman): What's the last possible second I could activate my thrusters to slow my drop enough that I don't die? (Delta): I'll run the calculation and send it to Cortana. She should be able to decipher the information. (He disappears.) (Bowman): Great! Okay, let's go. (He walks to the back of the Pelican and the ramp lowers. He steps to the very edge, and turns back to his teammates.) (Georgia): Bowman, if you're going to drop over the base, the time is now. Bowman salutes as he drops off the ramp. End Scene Bowman is falling through the air, plummeting toward the base below. He turns his head toward Cortana, who has appeared in beside him. (Cortana): I got the calculation from Delta. You're going to need to activate them exactly when I say to, sync? (Bowman): Sync! He falls and falls. The ground coming up closer and closer. (Cortana): Okay turn them on in three... two... ONE! Bowman flips himself around, his feet going first. The panels on his back open up and a small jet thrust comes out. A larger thrust emits from his boots and the palms of his gloves. He slows quickly, but has to break the thrust before hitting the ground. He rolls, hiding behind a Warthog immediately after landing, causing very little noise. He breathes quietly, as he activates the Infinity. He cycles through holograms until he comes up on the hologram of a mechanical humanoid. He rapidly lifts his hand above the faceplate and slams it back down. The bright green light over takes him and the Warthog next to him. Guards in the area rush over, storming the far side of the Warthog, finding nothing there. (Guard 1): What the hell, there's nothing here? (Guard 2): It was probably just the check engine light, those things are always messing up. (Guard 1): You're probably right. Suddenly, a wave of blue electricity flows over the Warthog, followed by the sound of mechanical humming in a specific pattern of five sounds, that make a familiar noise. Then, the Warthog breaks apart, mechanical arms lift the vehicles from the underside of it, and the side panels begins shifting. In a matter of seconds, the Warthog has transformed into a twenty-foot-tall robotic humanoid, with the car's armor integrated with its body. Two wheels rest inside its shoulders and the other two sit inside its feet. The Warthog's machine gun is attached to its back and reaches over its shoulder. (Guard 1): Oh my god! (Orion Pax): Let's roll! Orion Pax, the robot, spins the barrel of the machine gun, firing a hail of bullets on the armored guards. He takes down a majority of the ones in front of him in a matter of seconds. His hands shift themselves into blaster pistols, accompanied by mechanical shifting sounds. He fires small, blue energy blasts from his pistols, taking out a large number of guards. His right hand reverts to a fist, as he punches a Warthog, throwing it into a group of guards. He lights it up with the machine gun, exploding the gas tank and killing the guards. Orion Pax is hit by a rocket, and is knocked down. He spins on his heels, as his right arm shifts into a cannon. He fires his cannon at the doorway that the rocket came from, and the white energy blast destroys the contents of the room inside, including the humans. He then stands and spins, finding no other threats, he reverts his arms back to normal and the machine gun slides back, pointing toward the sky, while resting against his back. (Orion Pax): That was easy enough. He begins transforming back into his vehicle form, but, half way through, he is overtaken by green light. When the light fades, Bowman is standing next to a Warthog, totally undamaged. He places his index and middle fingers on the side of his helmet. (Bowman): All clear. You're free to land. (Georgia; over the intercom): Great work, Bowman. I'll put 'er down right in the center. Not long later, the Pelican lands right where Georgia specified, and the Agents exit from the ramp. (Carolina): Nice work, Bowman. Now let's acquire the information and get outta here. The Agents each take a building, spreading out to cover more ground. Bowman takes the building where Orion Pax shot his energy blast, as the door was already taken down. He rushes inside, and bounds off the wall toward a control room, of sorts. Once inside, Bowman walks to a large computer, and nods. Cortana appears, hovering over the computer with her hands outstretched. Elsewhere, Tex slowly walks into the computer room of her chosen building. She walks to the largest computer, and places a circular device on the counter, next to the keyboard. A light-purple, glowing man appears over the center of the circular device. Tex nods to him, and he begins working. Tex looks to her left, and sees a small flash drive with her name, “Texas”, written on it in black sharpie. She picks it up, and scans it with her visor. Finding nothing harmful inside, Tex places the drive in a secret compartment in her gauntlet. (Purple A.I.; with a deep voice): I am finished. (Tex): Thanks, Omega. You can rest now. Omega dissipates, as Tex walks out of the room. She joins the other Freelancers back outside, each having completed their duty. (Carolina): Good, we're all here. Let's go home, guys. (Wash): Drinks on York! (He says as he runs into the Pelican.) (York): Uh-uh, you can buy 'em yourself, Wash! York chases after Wash, followed closely by Carolina and North. End Scene Back on the Mother of Invention, Tex walks through the hallway outside each Agent's bunk, unarmored. She stops at Bowman's bunk, and knocks on the door. The door slides open, with Bowman standing there, wearing grey sweatpants and a white tanktop. He looks at Tex, slightly confused. (Bowman): Tex? What're you doing here? (Tex): I found something at the base, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it... (Bowman): What is it? (Tex reveals the flash drive in her hand, and Bowman takes it.) It's got you're name on it. (Tex): No shit, Bowman. (Bowman): Well, the hand-writing is really neat. So, it was probably a woman's. (Tex gives Bowman a sarcastically astonished look.) But you knew that. (He pauses for a moment) So you're trying to see if I think it is who you think it is... (Tex nods.) I think it makes sense to assume it's C.T. (Tex): Damn. (Bowman): What? (Tex): I was afraid of that... She walks away, leaving Bowman slightly more confused than before. THE END Characters Heroes *Bowman *Carolina *York *North *South *Washington *Tex Villains *Several Rebel Soldiers A.I. Units *Cortana *Delta *Omega (first appearance) Minor Characters *The Counselor *Georgia Aliens *Orion Pax (first appearance) Trivia *Tex finds a Flashdrive that has her name on it, presumably from C.T. *Orion Pax makes his first appearance.